Castle and Bishop
by abbyfillion22
Summary: "Don't you see, Castle? It's the best form of karma." He raised an eyebrow. Kate took his hand. "Your daughter is dating someone just like you."
1. Chapter 1

_Fathers be good to your daughters_

_Daughters will love like you do_

_-John Mayer, Daughters_

* * *

Alexis slouched lower in her chair, partially concealed behind the huge pile of books in front of her. A passerby might have missed her presence completely and that's how she liked it. This old library had become her place of solitude after the breakup, away from her friend's prying questions. They all wanted to know why: why she had suddenly broken up with Pi and moved out of their apartment. To that, she always answered with the partial truth, that she didn't love him. But that was only a small percentage of the problem. Ever since the split, she had spent all of her free time here, left to her own accords to ponder what the hell she was doing with her life.

She bent her head lower over the book she was reading as the library slowly emptied around her, taking along with it the low whispers and shuffle of pages being turned.

Her cell phone buzzed on the table, showing that she had 22 missed messages, half of them from her father. Alexis couldn't bring herself to face her dad. Of course, he had probably heard by now that she had moved back into her dorm and Pi, to Amsterdam. She couldn't face his unsaid, but implied "I told you so". Because he had been right all along, Pi wasn't right for her. She hated when he was right.

She hit the bright red IGNORE button and went back to her book. It was one of those fluffy young adult novels that all of her friends were raving about, a New York Times Bestseller called_ Metro 47, _written by a young author named Andrew Bishop. It was about a guy in his twenties who falls in love with a girl on the subway, their only interaction being on their morning commutes. Alexis had chosen it at random from the New and Noteworthy shelf just because the cover was intriguing, a simple white paper with the title typed in the bottom right corner in Courier New. Now, halfway through the story, she was growing bored of the shallow plotline.

Alexis sighed, about to give up on the book when a tall guy in a maroon crew neck approached her, his hands in the pockets of his Levis. He scuffed the toe of his grey Converse on the wood floor and looked at her shyly as if debating whether to say something.

She glanced up from her book, then back down and brought it up to cover her face. When she looked up again, he was still standing there, biting his lip. She blinked rapidly and sighed. "Can I help you?"

The guy startled but then composed himself, running a hand through his blonde hair and tugging at the sleeves of his sweater. "I hear that's a good book," he said, tilting his head to the side and pointing to the thick novel she was holding under her nose.

Alexis shrugged and hugged the book to her chest, leaning back in her chair. "The plot is predictable and the characters have no depth." She stared at him. He was handsome, probably in his early twenties, with air of confidence about him. He looked extremely fit, not like someone who goes to the gym to pump iron every day, but like a runner who eats his required servings of fruits and vegetables. Best of all, he had an accent.

He pulled out the chair next to her and sat down. "You think so?"

She glared at him, wishing he would just leave her alone to sulk. "Have you read it?"

He laughed, dimples forming in his cheeks and his green eyes lighting up. "A couple of times."

Alexis looked at the simplistic cover and back at the guy. "Seems like a kinda girly book."

He laughed again, and leaned forwards with his hand extended. "Andrew Bishop, nice to meet you."

She smirked and shook his hand, recognizing the name. "Oh, and is that supposed to impress me?"

Andrew sat back and combed his fingers through his hair. "And your name?"

"Alexis Castle."

"Oh, and is that supposed to impress me?" he replied smartly.

She giggled despite herself and the old librarian shushed her, giving them a warning glare.

"Sorry," Andrew whispered.

Alexis couldn't believe the chances of running into _the _Andrew Bishop in the public library. He had been featured as #4 on New York's Most Eligible Bachelors list, 5 places ahead of her own dad.

"So," said Andrew, folding his hands over the table and staring intently at her. "Do you still think my characters of no depth?"

She pursed her lips. "Knowing you doesn't change my opinion about your book."

To her surprise, Andrew smiled. "Fair enough."

Alexis set the book between them and leaned forward, tossing her long hair over her shoulder. "But just because I don't like your book doesn't mean I don't like you," she said with a flirtiness she didn't know she had.

He paused for a beat, looking at her with awe. He nodded, "Would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow night?"

She accepted.

* * *

Beckett walked into Castle's office with two mugs of coffee in hand. He sat with his feet up on the desk, his nose buried in a huge book with an expression of pain as his eyes flitted across the page. His brow was furrowed as he flipped the page.

"Hey," she said, depositing the mug next to his foot. "What are you reading?"

He lifted the cover so she could read it.

"_Metro 47_?" she questioned. "Doesn't seem like your type of book."

Castle snapped the book closed and tossed it on top of a stack of papers. "It's not. It's awful. I hate it," he grumbled, picking up his coffee.

Kate propped herself on the edge of his desk, her toes barely reaching the ground. "Then why read it?"

Castle rubbed his eyes. He had been up all morning with the dumb book, trying to figure out why it was so popular. Part of his bitterness was due to the fact that _Metro 47_ was the only book keeping _Hampton's Heat_ from the number one spot on the Bestseller's List. "Because," he sighed, "You know that guy Alexis has been dating for the past two months?"

"Of course."

"He's Andrew Bishop."

"_The_ Andrew Bishop?"

"Yeah."

Kate picked up the book and pointed to the name on the cover. "This Andrew Bishop?"

"Yeah," Castle responded, trying to contain his frustration. He had known about Bishop for a while now, but his daughter had failed to mention that he was a bestselling author until last night when she had asked him and Kate to meet him.

Kate's smile grew and she bit her thumbnail. "Wow. This is _great_."

Castle's eyes narrowed. "Why is it _great_?"

She looked straight at him, simply beaming. "Don't you see, Castle? It's the best form of karma."

He raised an eyebrow.

Kate took his hand. "Your daughter is dating someone _just_ like you."

"Whaaaaat?" he said incredulously. "Bishop is _nothing_ like me!" Immediately, he knew that she was right. Andrew was a spitting image of himself at his age, the only difference being their genres.

Kate smirked.

Castle swiveled his chair towards the window bitterly. "Whatever, I still don't like him."

She shook her head, knowing Castle's reactions to all of Alexis's relationships. "You've never met him. Just give him a chance," she reasoned. "Besides, everyone's a step up from Pi."

Castle cringed at the mere mention of Alexis's fruitarian ex. "You're right," he sighed. "You're right." He picked up _Metro 47_ and examined the author bio on the back flap. Apparently, Andrew was born and raised in London, but moved at age 18 to attend NYU. "Have you read this?"

"Yeah," she replied, "it's good."

"Seriously?!" Castle said, appalled at her taste.

"Seriously. The ending ties it all together."

"Ugh," he groaned and his head dropped to his shoulders. "I have to wait until the end for it to suck less?"

"Patience, babe," said Kate, standing up and kissing his forehead. "Breakfast will be ready in a minute. I made pancakes. Maybe they'll make you feel better."

"Thank you," he called after her as she left. As soon as he heard the sound of her moving around in the kitchen, he skipped to the last page of _Metro 47_.


	2. Chapter 2

**An early Christmas present for all of my fellow Browncoats**

* * *

"Don't be nervous," Andrew said, smoothing out the creases in the new shirt he had bought especially for the dinner. He raked his fingers through his hair as he appraised himself in the mirror.

Alexis was dressed, her hair carefully curled, her makeup precise. "How can I _not_ be nervous?!" she griped, wringing her hands together. "He never likes any of my boyfriends." She's thinking back to the way her dad had treated Ashley and Pi, not wanting Andrew to suffer though his hazing process.

Andrew frowned as he adjusted his black tie. "You don't think he'll like me?"

She sighed and retied his tie for him with a knot she had perfected over the years of helping Dad with his. "It's not you, it's him," Alexis assured him.

"No one's good enough for his little girl," Andrew nodded, understanding. He turned and kissed her, pulling her long red hair out of the necklace he had given her for her last birthday. It was a rose gold disk-shaped pendant with an engraving of a rook chess piece on one side and a bishop on the other. Right now, the side with the bishop on it was facing outwards. "Don't worry," he assured her, "It'll be fine."

Alexis turned away, wanting to believe him. Her dad could be so unpredictable sometimes and she was worried for Andrew. Just having her father's approval made everything a lot easier.

* * *

Beckett found her fiancé still at his computer where he had been sulking all day. "Castle, why aren't you dressed?" she exclaimed, pushing his feet off of the desktop as if scolding a child. "We have to be at the restaurant in twenty minutes!"

Castle pushed his headphones down around his neck. "What do you mean?" he asked, peering up at her, "I am dressed." He wore jeans and a faded NYPD tshirt and no shoes, a stark contrast to Beckett's fancy black dress and shiny silver jewelry.

Beckett took the PSP out of his hand to much grumbling and deposited it in a drawer before dragging him into their room and tossing him a nice shirt and pants from the closet.

Castle grimaced at the button-down she had selected. "This isn't really my color."

"Grey is the new black, Castle," she said, rifling through his selection of ties before giving him a maroon one. "C'mon, hurry up."

Castle pulled his shirt off and threw it across the room into the laundry basket. He stood shirtless, watching Beckett bent over his row of shoes, trying to color coordinate with the rest of his outfit. "I like it when you act all domestic," he said, placing his hands on her waist as she straightened up. His lips met her collarbone and he began to pull up bottom of her dress. "You look gorgeous in this," he growled into her shoulder. "Where are you hiding your gun?"

"Not now, Castle, we have to go," she said, pushing him away and yanking the chiffon down to cover her thighs again. She shoved his shoes into his arms and ushered him into the bathroom to get ready. "Maybe if you're good, you can find where my gun is hiding later."

"Maybe?" he said from the other side of the door.

Beckett removed her phone from her clutch and checked the time. "Just hurry up, we have to go."

He emerged a minute later, hastily tucking in his shirt. "I'm ready."

She straightened his tie which as knotted askew. "Why are you dragging your feet so much?" she asked, seeing his reluctant expression.

"I'm not I-"

"Castle," she said with a stern stare.

He sighed and kissed her on the forehead. "Let's just go, okay?"

She nodded, accepting this response for now. "Maybe you'll wind up liking him."

Castle laughed. "Doubtful."

Beckett's brow furrowed. "Just promise you'll give him a chance."

His frown deepened.

"Promise?" she asked again.

"I promise," he conceded.

* * *

Andrew was the one who had chosen the restaurant. It was trendy without trying too hard but still very classy. Brightly lit with cream colored tablecloths, shiny silverware gleamed from black napkins next to clear wineglasses. The color scheme was monochromatic, keeping the atmosphere romantic like an old photo.

Alexis was impressed by his taste, knowing that it was the sort of place her dad would have picked if he were the one to make the reservations.

They purposefully got there earlier than she had told her dad to arrive there by. Andrew pulled out her chair for her before sitting down himself. He picked up his spoon and checked his hair in the curved surface.

"Nervous?" Alexis asked.

"Yeah," Andrew sighed, carefully replacing the spoon. He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, his green eyes squinted with worry. "I just want your dad to like me."

Alexis gripped his hand. "I know. Me too."

They only had to wait seconds more before her dad and Beckett arrived. The two of them stood to greet them.

"Mr. Castle," Andrew said, offering his hand. "It's so nice to meet you."

Castle hesitated and Beckett elbowed him in the side, giving him a hard look. They shook hands, Andrew making sure he had the right strength behind his grip.

Alexis hugged her dad while Andrew shook Beckett's hand and pulled her chair out for her.

"Hi, Daddy," she said quietly, nodding right at him once they parted.

They all settled into their seats and Andrew ordered white wine for Castle and Beckett's and water for Alexis and himself.

Andrew cleared his throat. "So, Mr. Castle, I hear book sales are doing very well."

Castle looked up from his menu. "Mine or yours?"

Andrew laughed, assuming it was a joke but immediately grew silent when no one else joined in on the laughter.

Alexis wanted to crawl into a hole and die.

Andrew cleared his throat again. "Ah, yours," he wiped sweat from his brow.

"Yes, well," Castle said pointedly, "number _two_ on the bestseller list is always an honor."

Beckett kicked him under the table.

Castle shrugged innocently. "Anything new coming out soon?"

"I have something in the making," Andrew answered vaguely, setting his menu on the table and folding his hands on top of it.

"Another romance?" Castle said with a smirk.

Both Alexis and Beckett kicked him.

Castle grimaced.

"A lot of people found a deeper meaning behind _Metro 47_, Daddy," Alexis chimed in. "Like the symbolism in the subway, the character's dialogue…"

"I'm also looking into branching into some other genres," Andrew added hopefully.

Castle tilted his head. "Sounds like you don't like committing-"

Beckett sipped her water loudly and dabbed at the corners of her mouth with her napkin, embarrassed by Castle's behavior.

"Actually, versatility in writers is seen as admirable," said Andrew, finally standing up for himself.

Alexis and Beckett held their breaths, they could have cut the tension with a knife.

Castle merely nodded.

"I started out in young adult romance because it's easiest to relate to on a personal level given my age," Andrew explained, carefully watching his tone. "And I'm looking to move into things more serious to improve myself. Perhaps mystery might be a good way to go. Mr. Castle, would you have any advice for someone trying to break into this genre? I mean, you being the dominating author in that category." He said, charm simply oozing from every word.

Castle looked at Beckett and Alexis, both of whom were transfixed by Andrew. They were impressed by Andrew's suave demeanor and articulacy.

Andrew, feeling like he wasn't being attacked anymore, relaxed a little, his hands unclenching.

"Yes, well, I wouldn't recommend getting into mystery right now," Castle said, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Things aren't looking good for the genre ever since Rowling's little stunt with _The Cuckoo's Calling_," he said bitterly.

"Ugh, I hated that book," Andrew agreed. "The killer was so predictable."

"I thought it was okay," Castle replied.

The waiter came and took their orders and left with their menus so none of them had anything left to hide behind.

There was a beat of uncomfortable silence before Andrew continued the conversation.

"I read _Hampton's Heat_, I thought it was incredible."

Castle's eyes widened slightly. "Oh, um… thanks?"

Andrew leaned forwards, staring intently at Castle. "How did you come up with that ending? It was so poetic."

Castle and Beckett exchanged knowing looks, remembering where he got the inspiration for the steamy sex scene that alone made the book sales sky-rocket. "I, ah, find inspiration in everything. That's what makes your writing seems real, if you base it off of real life."

Andrew nodded and smiled. "That's very good advice, Mr. Castle. Thanks."

Castle waved it off. "What am I saying, you should be the one giving _me_ advice, you holding the number one spot." He said false-cheerfully.

"Alexis," Beckett jumped in. "That's a _lovely_ necklace."

Alexis fingered the shiny pendant around her neck. "Thank you. Andrew got it for me for my 20th." She said, smiling warmly at her boyfriend who was holding up remarkably well.

"Good taste," Beckett commented.

Castle squinted at it. "What's that engraved on it?"

"Oh, it's a bishop chess piece," Alexis said, holding it out to him. The detail on the tiny disk was extraordinary.

"There's a rook on the other side too," Andrew added as Alexis flipped it over.

"A castle," Alexis clarified.

"That's so cute," Beckett marveled at the piece of jewelry.

"Huh," Castle mumbled. "That's actually very clever, Andrew."

"Thanks, Mr. Castle," he said proudly.

Alexis glanced at the two men, her mouth slightly agape.

They made small talk about school and work until their food came and then all talk was postponed as they dug in.

"This food is incredible," said Castle, cutting into his steak. "How have I never heard of this restaurant?"

"Andrew found it, didn't you, sweetie?" Alexis replied, shuffling her fork around her salad.

"And how have you heard of it?" asked Castle.

Andrew skewered a bean with his fork. "I'm friends with the owner. It's a fairly new place." His cell phone rang loudly, his ring tone, a popular TV theme.

_Take my love, take my land, take me where I cannot stand. I don't care, I'm still free, you can't take the sky from me._

Castle nearly dropped his knife.

"I'm so sorry," Andrew apologized, shutting off his phone. "My publisher's trying to reach me."

Castle's mouth moved but no sound came out, completely caught off guard. "You watched that show?"

Andrew was momentarily confused before realizing he was referring to the ringtone. "I did when it was on. If it had been on during this time, it definitely would have survived, you know, with the digital age in full effect and the free advertisement with social media. I was a huge fan."

Alexis cringed, knowing that even the mere _mention_ of that show would steal her father's attention for hours at a time.

"I know, I couldn't believe it was over," Castle said, shaking his head. After that, the dinner consisted of conversation about the show with Beckett and Alexis trying to change the subject with little success. They wound up having two different conversations, the one between Alexis and Kate revolving around her major in criminal justice. By the time they left the restaurant, it was almost 9:00 and the two men were the best of friends, bonded by their shared allegiances to the Browncoats.

Kate and Alexis walked a few paces behind them, barely listening to the ongoing debate over whether or not guns were the best choice of weaponry for a crew that operated in space.

"No way, Mr. Castle, that is _so _cool," Andrew laughed loudly.

"Well, he did it," Kate said in awe. "They like each other."

"Yeah," Alexis replied, watching her dad explain to Andrew how to hold a revolver using many gesticulations. "It's weird."

"It _is_ weird," Kate agreed, pushing her wind-blown hair away from her face. "But aren't you glad they're getting along?"

Alexis thought it through. "Yeah. They're getting along a little _too _well."


	3. Chapter 3

"That was weird," Alexis said as she hung her coat and dropped her keys in the ceramic bowl next to the door.

"What was weird," Andrew asked lightly, hanging his jacket next to hers.

Alexis's brow knitted as she went to the refrigerator for a bottle of water, "You and dad," she replied, cracking the plastic seal on the SmartWater and taking a much needed drink, "you got along."

Andrew put his hands in his pockets and shrugged nonchalantly. He was used to winning people over. "I know. I didn't think it would happen, the way it started out."

He looked around the cramped dorm space, the top of his head mere inches from the ceiling, the darkness permeating the room only making it feel more claustrophobic.

"Your dad's so awesome," Andrew said.

"Yeah," Alexis scoffed. "He's great."

Andrew, sensing her discomfort, took her hand. "What's the matter, sweetie?"

"Nothing," she said offhandedly. "It's nothing."

"Something's bothering you-"

"Andrew, I said it's nothing," she said forcefully this time, wanting him to drop it. Of course, she was pleased that the evening went well, but it almost seemed as if Andrew had more in common with her dad than with her. There was no way she could explain this discomfort to him, not after all the trouble he went to, getting to know her father to make her happy. "Thank you," she sighed, feeling obligated to say so.

He tilted his head, his green eyes becoming a dark pine in the dim light. "For what?"

She shrugged. "Just… thanks."

"You know I'd do anything for you, Alexis," he said earnestly, drawing her against him in a tight hug.

She rested her chin on his shoulder, loving the fact that he was the perfect height for her to do so. "I know." As they stood there for a long moment, locked in each other's arms, Alexis couldn't help but realize that her father had told her the exact same thing.

* * *

"Did Alexis seem off to you?" Beckett muttered distractedly, Castle's mouth attached to her neck, his hands slowly pulling down the zipper of her dress.

"Hm," was his only response, muffled against her skin. The minute, almost invisible gold zipper was at the small of her back and he eased the sheer fabric from her shoulders. The silky material fell to the floor where it pooled around her feet.

"She kind of seemed upset," Kate continued, narrowing her eyes at their reflection in the mirror across the room as his fingers danced over her flat stomach, coming to a rest at her hipbone. "Did you notice that?"

"Mn."

"Castle, do you think maybe she felt left out?"

He pushed her backwards until the back of her legs bumped into the edge of the bed. His lips left a trail of kisses down her collarbone, tracing lightly above the curve of her breast before lingering on the tiny circular scar. On any other night, this would have driven her crazy, but tonight she was distracted, barely aware of what he was doing to her.

"She would have said something-" he said in an attempt to conclude the conversation.

"No she wouldn't, she's a teenage girl," Kate told him.

He pulled her hips against his, and they fell onto the mattress, a tangle of limbs. "Can we not talk about my daughter when I'm doing this to you?"

"You're right," she sighed, wrapping her legs around his waist and arching her back. "Sorry."

"S'okay," he said, kissing her again.

"But Castle-"

He rolled his eyes.

"-don't you think it was weird, you getting all buddy-buddy with Alexis's boyfriend?" Kate asked.

Castle rolled off of her and sat up, accepting the fact that she wouldn't be in the mood until they resolved the predicament at hand. "Why? I thought I was supposed to give him a chance," he pointed out with his knees drawn up to his chin

"You were," Kate assured him quickly.

"I'm confused."

She paused for a minute, trying to figure out how to explain in the least offensive means possible. "I think you may need to dial it back a little…"

Castle frowned.

"Okay, it's like this," Kate said, wrapping the sheet around her shoulders so he wouldn't be distracted by her chest as she was talking. "You know how if a boy ever hurt Alexis, you say you would destroy him?"

"Yes," he said tentatively.

"Well that threat is a good thing in some way," Kate told him. "It keeps him in check, y'know? But if that boy sees you as his friend, he won't see you as a threat. Does that make sense?"

"So…" Castle narrowed his eyes. "I should threaten Andrew so he never hurts Alexis?"

"No, no," Kate said hastily. "You don't have to threaten him directly… just be there so that he always knows that you're keeping a close eye out for your daughter."

"Be the protective dad."

"Exactly." Kate pushed a strand of his hair away from his forehead. "You're very good at that."

* * *

Andrew twirled the thin Ticonderoga pencil around in his hand and slouched lower in the puffy leather chair as members of his agency discussed statistics of his latest publication, pointing to colorful pie charts on foam board and rambling off numbers.

"But the stores are looking for something fresh," said the PR woman with the laser pointer. "Something new. What are you working on right now?"

Everyone turned to look at Andrew and it took him a full minute to realize that they were addressing him. "What? Oh, yes," he said, sitting up. "I was thinking of making a trilogy out of _Metro 47-"_

There was a collective groan.

Andrew frowned, fingering the squishy pink eraser attached to his pencil, feeling like the kid everyone else patted on the head and called adorable. "What?"

"A trilogy?" said the woman. "That's all you got? That's old, sweetheart. We want something that will grab the attention of the media."

"Oh," Andrew said quietly. "I was thinking about getting into a new genre."

This grabbed their attention. "Do tell," said the woman.

"Sci-"

Muttering.

"Mystery," Andrew said instead.

"Sci-Mystery?" they grumbled. "Is that a thing now?"

Andrew cringed. "Mystery."

One of Andrew's agents smiled and stood up, smoothing down the nonexistent creases in his pinstripe suit. "We were hoping you'd say that."

Andrew slumped back in his chair, his supply of improvised answers thoroughly depleted. "Why?"

"Someone's very interested in co-writing a novel with you," said his agent. "Someone very powerful in this particular genre."

Andrew tilted his head back and balanced his pencil on the bridge of his nose. "Who is it? Please don't say Galbraith."

"Richard Castle."

The pencil clattered to the floor as Andrew sat up, his hands on the edge of the mahogany table. "Are you serious?" Andrew hadn't heard from Alexis's father since that one dinner, three weeks ago. He was sure that if Castle wanted to write together, he would have contacted him personally.

"Congratulations kid," his agent said proudly. "As soon as you sign on, you've sealed the fate of the rest of your career."

* * *

Alexis looked up from her textbook as her boyfriend let himself into her room with the spare key she had entrusted him with. His shoulders were covered in tiny snowflakes that were slowly melting into the fabric. He courteously took off his wet boots before entering.

"Hey there," said Andrew, his eyes gleaming.

"Hey," Alexis said, crossing the room to give him a kiss hello. "How was the meeting?"

Andrew draped his wool scarf on the back of her desk chair and sat down. "Boring-"

"As usual."

"But I have some good news."

Alexis sat on the edge of her bed so their knees were touching. "Did you get the deal with Barnes & Nobles?"

"No," Andrew sighed. "Not yet anyways. But I will after my new book comes out!" He clasped his hands together and beamed.

Alexis raised her eyebrows. She didn't know Andrew was working on a new novel. He had just finished his last one and he usually took some time off during the first few weeks of publication for what he called a "creative hajj for inspiration" to exotic locations around the globe. He had even mentioned taking her along for one of these hajjes.

"Your dad and I are co-writing a book together!" Andrew exclaimed.

Alexis blinked rapidly, not quite processing this new information. "I'm sorry. You're what?"

Andrew couldn't contain his excitement. "We're writing a book together! Isn't that fantastic?"

"Yeah," she nodded, suppressing her frustration. "That's great sweetie."

Andrew stared at her, his smile fading. "You seem upset."

"No, I'm not," Alexis grinned. "It's great, Andrew. It's really great."

"It is!" Andrew said. "This is an amazing opportunity, Alexis. I mean, to even be _associated_ with the name Castle is huge with this genre-"

"Really?" Alexis interjected bitterly. "Is that why you're dating me?"

Andrew was confused, the conversation having just made an about-face. "Honey, you know I love-"

"Don't say it," she said quickly. "I think you need to leave."

Andrew reached for her hand but she jerked away. "Alexis-"

"I have to study, Andrew." Alexis fingered the cold metal disk hanging from her neck, feeling the hairline indentations that outlined the chess pieces. She looked down and noticed that the metal seemed duller somehow, like it hadn't been polished in a long time and now lacked its usual luster.

He bit his lower lip, knowing that arguing would only put him in a deeper hole. Of course, he wasn't dating Alexis to get to her father, but explaining that would be futile. He didn't even know that Alexis was a Castle when he had seen her for the first time in that library. "All right, sweetie," he resigned, picking up his scarf and draping it around his neck, the moist wool itching his shoulders. "I'll call you later so we can talk."

Alexis was already consumed in her textbook again, silently fuming behind the pages where she stayed until she heard the door close again. Once left alone, she gritted her teeth and dialed her dad.

* * *

Castle sat shoulder-to-shoulder with Kate on the couch, mugs of steaming coffee in their laps. The TV was tuned into the local news, a story about the case the two of them had just recently wrapped when his cell phone ringed. He took his feet off the coffee table to grab his phone, glancing at the caller ID before answering. "Hey, pumpkin. How's school?"

"Don't pumpkin me," Alexis snapped.

He glanced at Beckett who was leaning into him to listen. She merely shrugged. "Did I… do something wrong?"

"You know what you did."

Beckett sat up, folding her legs underneath her and clutching her coffee. _What is it?_ She mouthed.

_Don't know_, Castle shook his head. "Look, I'm sorry I ate your last muffin when I visited last week-"

"That was you?!" Alexis shouted.

"Oh," Castle cringed. "Was that not what you're mad about?"

Beckett smirked. _Smooth_.

"I blamed my roommate for eating that muffin," Alexis muttered. "But no, that's not what I'm mad about."

"Then what are-"

"Daddy, why would you write a book with Andrew?"

Beckett's eyes narrowed as Castle's widened. He stood up and began pacing behind the couch. "It was Paula's idea," he said defensively, blaming a third party. "She said that Andrew was the next big thing and I agreed-"

"Of _course_ he's the next big thing, Daddy," Alexis said exasperatedly. "He _is_ the big thing. But you could have said no."

Castle muted the television. "And why would I do that? Andrew's a pleasant young man and it would look good for both of us if I were to take him under my wing," he practically quoted Paula verbatim. "Not to mention the sales. Do you have any idea how the fanbase will react to a pairing like this?"

"I realize that, Daddy," Alexis sighed. "I just wish you would have talked to me before deciding. I mean, Andrew is dating _me,_ not you."

"Sweetie, I would never-"

"I have to go study, tell Beckett I said hi," Alexis said quickly before hanging up on him.

Castle glowered at the floor as he tucked his phone in his back pocket, the same facial expression he was receiving from Kate. "What?" he said innocently.

Kate shook her head. "Castle, I can't believe you."

He hung his head.

"I thought we sorted this issue out. You agreed to keep your distance," Beckett said, placing her mug next to his on the coffee table and shutting the TV off completely.

"I did," Castle argued. "That's the magic of Google Drive; we can work on the same document from a safe, non-personal distance. Now Alexis is mad at me."

"Well," said Beckett, unfolding her legs and getting up to stretch. "You opened the can, now you have to pick up the worms."

"So you think that I shouldn't write this book?"

"No, I'm saying that you need to talk this whole issue out with Alexis before proceeding," Kate said carefully. "I get that this is an amazing opportunity for the both of you but it's not worth it if the promise of the outcome is going to destroy the relationship you have with your daughter. It's like _The Pearl_." She said in an attempt to relate to his literary side.

"You're right," said Castle, his hands in his pockets. "I guess I'll talk to her."

"Good."

"Or maybe _you_ could-"

"Castle."

"That's okay, I'll go talk to her."


	4. Chapter 4

Alexis was lying on her back with her headphones on, blasting old songs from the early 2000s as she glared up at the cracked ceiling, wishing it would just cave in and bury her in the ruble. With her ankles crossed on her pillow, the toe of her Converse tapped against the headboard in time to the melancholy song.

_I know a girl  
She puts the color inside of my world  
But she's just like a maze  
Where all of the walls all continually change  
And I've done all I can  
To stand on her steps with my heart in my hands  
Now I'm starting to see  
Maybe it's got nothing to do with me_

_Fathers, be good to your daughters_  
_Daughters will love like you do_  
_Girls become lovers who turn into mothers_  
_So mothers, be good to your daughters too._

She considered calling Beckett to seek advice about her father and Andrew but decided against it, thinking that it's something she should have to figure out herself.

_On behalf of every man  
Looking out for every girl  
You are the god and the weight of her world_

_So fathers, be good to your daughters_  
_Daughters will love like you do_  
_Girls become lovers who turn into mothers_  
_So mothers, be good to your daughters too._

Alexis glowers. Why did her dad have to be constantly inserting himself into her life? Why did he have to start a strange relationship with her boyfriend? She knew that writing a book together meant that the two of them would be holed up in a room together, creatively collaborating on a piece of genius while she rotted in her dorm all alone. Eventually, Andrew would start to like her dad more than her and then where would she be?

She was so busy hating Andrew for being so charming and likeable that she didn't hear the knock at her door the first time.

The knocking continued and she cranked the volume up on her iPhone to drown out the noise. "Go away, Andrew!" she shouted.

"Alexis, it's me," said her dad.

She ignored him, placing her pillow over her face.

Five minutes later, she heard the door open and she sat up. Her roommate was standing in the doorway with a basket of clean laundry under her arm.

"Alexis, your dad's here," said her roommate, Addison.

"Thank you, Add," Alexis mumbled.

Castle stepped inside the room as Addison hurriedly dropped off her clothes and collected her laptop, not looking to be present when the highly awkward confrontation occurred.

"You're mad," Castle said once the door closed.

Alexis didn't meet her dad's eye. "I'm not mad."

"You are."

"What makes you say that?"

"You're being passive."

She stared at the ceiling where a poster of the periodic table hung and remained silent.

Castle pulled out her desk chair and sat down, occupying the same space that Andrew had vacated a few hours previously. "I'm sorry I didn't talk to you about the book."

Alexis searched for words on the poster she could make from the various element symbols. "I think I'm breaking up with Andrew."

Castle frowned. Just a few days ago, his daughter had been saying how sure she was that Andrew was the one. "Honey, you can't break off a relationship because-"

"Dad, stop," she snapped. "It's my choice, okay? Not yours. You're not the one who's dating him."

"Okay," Castle nodded slowly. "So you want to break up with him. May I ask why?"

"No."

"Okay."

Alexis sat up and crossed her arms. "I…" she paused. "Seeing you and him together made me realize that we were turning into you and Beckett."

Castle blinked. "What?"

Alexis rolled her eyes. "Don't get me wrong, you and Kate are great together and I want a relationship like that, just not… I don't want Andrew and me to be Castle and Beckett the sequel." She looked to see if her dad was comprehending. "I want Andrew and me to have our own love story, an original one, not a basis of someone else's story. Does that make sense?"

"Kind of."

"I realize that Andrew is like you and I'm afraid that if you two are together for too long, you'll become _too _alike… and that I'll be shut out of my own relationship."

Castle smiled slightly. "Sweetie, Andrew loves you. Just because we're writing together doesn't mean that I'm taking your place."

"Dad, I just wished you had talked to me beforehand."

"I know. I'm sorry."

She crossed her legs Indian style and sat back on her hands. "You keep doing this, Daddy."

Castle's brow furrowed. "What?"

"Making impulsive choices and not telling me about it."

It suddenly occurred to Castle what she was so upset about. "You mean me proposing to Beckett."

"You never talked to me about it. I'm pretty sure everyone else knew before I did."

Castle nodded and sat down next to his daughter, putting an arm around her shoulder. "Honey, I'm so sorry. It was… it was a spur of the moment thing. I saw my perfect chance to do it and I did."

Alexis rested her head on her dad's shoulder. "I didn't know how serious you guys were then. It took me by surprise is all." She remembered the phone call with Gram, how it had been brought up casually in the conversation like it was inferred that she knew. Of _course_ she knew, how could she not? But she didn't.

"I wish I could have talked to you about it, sweetie," said Castle. "Just to make sure you were okay with it but you were on your way to Costa Rica and it all happened so suddenly, I didn't stop to think how you would be affected by it."

Alexis nodded.

"Just like now," he continued. "I didn't stop to think how the book thing would affect you and it was selfish of me. I'm sorry."

She got up and hugged him. "It's okay. I still really think you two should write together. It could be really amazing, what you produce. Maybe the next big thing." She sincerely meant it, a famous pairing like Andrew and her father could be legendary and there was no way she would deprive the literary world of the work of pure genius that the two talented writers could produce together.

Castle raised an eyebrow. "Maybe?"

"Probably," Alexis shrugged.

"Thanks, sweetie," Castle said. "Let's make a deal. From now on, whenever I make big decisions, I talk with you first if it's going to affect you. And we'll talk about it over ice cream before choosing. Deal?"

She grinned. "Deal."

* * *

Alexis sat in Andrew's breakfast nook with the New York Times in front of her, a steaming mug of hot chocolate in hand. Outside, a thick blanket of snow covered the street, decorating the bare skeleton-like tree branches with a bright frost. She could see the white lights of the neighbor's Christmas trees from the window, kids throwing snowballs at each other in the street below. As she turned the page, the morning light caught the sharp edge of the diamond on her left hand, the sparkle momentarily blinding her. She shifted her hand to regain vision and bent over the paper, reading the rave reviews for the book that had occupied Andrew and her father's attention for the past year, _Metro Massacre_.

It was doing exceptionally well in the stores and there held the number one spot on the Bestseller List for five weeks in a row now. There was even talk of turning the crime/romance into a movie.

Andrew sauntered up to the nook, his hands behind his back. He bent down to kiss his fiance. "Morning, gorgeous. Guess what came in the mail."

Alexis handed her mug to Andrew and allowed him a sip. "What?"

He proudly presented the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly. "Featuring yours truly."

Alexis smiled, looking at the front cover. It showed her father seated at an antique desk with a typewriter in front of him and Andrew leaning up against his chair scribbling on a small notepad. Andrew wore a brown fedora, a button-down and suspenders while Castle was in an old-fashioned suit, drawing to the fashion of the roaring 20s. Both handsome men smiled confidently at the camera, conveying a sense of power. The footer read:

**The Invincible Duo: Castle & Bishop**


End file.
